Social media resolution passes unanimously
A resolution to increase the city’s use of online media formats unanimously passed the Fayetteville City Council at Tuesday night’s meeting.
By passing the resolution, city staff is requested to craft a communication strategy that includes using burgeoning media outlets.
Ward 2 Alderman Matthew Petty, who authored the resolution, acknowledged that Mayor Lioneld Jordan had begun using facebook and twitter, but he said those efforts only “scratched the surface.”
Petty suggested a few applications for the strategy, such as incorporating online public comments into the record and making all memoranda by city staff immediately available to the public.
Concerns of access to social media tools were expressed both by aldermen and members of the public. One public commenter said the resolution was “exclusionary” and to adopt it would be “to ignore a huge portion of our population” because not everybody in Fayetteville has a computer.
Fran Alexander was also among the members of the public to speak against the resolution. It’s a “matter of manners,” she said, and aldermen should not be distracted with their computers at a council meeting. While addressing the council, Alexander referenced an editorial she had in the Northwest Arkansas Times, where she called this measure a “pro-rudeness resolution.”
Kyle Cook, alderman for Ward 2, said using social media would not limit the access to public information, but rather it is “just another vehicle to get the information out there.”
Council member Rhoads agreed.
“The city shouldn’t slow itself down,” he said.
Also, the city council struck down an ordinance that would have established a review panel for marijuana policy. Petty proposed this ordinance to follow up with what the voters decided in November, he said.
In the last election, Fayetteville voters passed a measure that set adult possession of marijuana as the lowest priority for the police.
Greg Tabor, chief of police, spoke against the ordinance. Misdemeanor marijuana charges were a low priority before November and remain so, he said. The panel would only take more staff’s time and resources, he continued.
Before the vote, Mayor Jordan said despite the outcome, he would be willing to be advised on the issue.
It failed with a 1-7 vote.
Comments
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Schleuss
May 20, 2009
I found the conversation very enlightening and I’m happy to be part of a city that is discussing social media and larger issues surrounding people and technology.
Total Bastard
May 20, 2009
The city also denied a developer who wanted to put student apartments where the old sale barn property is.
Todd
May 20, 2009
@TB, I don’t think that one was discussed last night. There was, however, a denial of a rezoning of some property in the Walker Park Neighborhood area where the owner wanted to build a 12-unit apartment building. Here’s the location of that.
Total Bastard
May 20, 2009
You’re right.
I watched something on public access about the other apartments and I skimmed the MorningNews online article.
TB /fail.
I’m glad the council stuck to the Walker Park Neighborhood Plan. :thumbup:
I hope they don’t approve the other one, which is giant, without making some changes at least. Its Garden Park all over again…
Tony Wappel
May 20, 2009
As a resident of the Walker Park Neighborhood, I am also glad the City Council voted to stick to the Walker Park Neighborhood Plan, as finalized last July. Compared to 15-20 years ago, he City Council would have never supported the neighbors on such an issue. I am glad we can trust the City Council to do the right thing again. Keep up the great work!
Informed voter
May 20, 2009
There are a lot of things that got pushed through by Ex Mayor Coody that many neighbors objected to strenuously. The Jordan administration has more respect for citizens than developers.
Kirby Sanders
May 23, 2009
Net effect of Walker Park area rezoning was an 18% decrease in my property vslue. Thanks a lot. My taxes go up and the market value of my property value goes down. Add a Bush Recession dump of some 21% in the near-city values and I have a 38% value dump. Thank god I bought I bought cheap — I am at break-even on the purchase price in 1998! No loss — but no gain either.
I’m certainly thrilled about that!
Matthew Petty
May 26, 2009
@Kirby – Maybe I’m missing the sarcasm in your post, but just so we’re clear: the Council denied the rezoning.
kirby sanders
May 26, 2009
… and Hitler outlawed Judaism. The Law is THE LAW — is that your point?
FWIW- I think we are talking apples and oranges. I got the secretly delivered flyer about the College / Rock rezoning. It appeared on my back porch a couple of weeks ago. I am talking about property several blocks away.
As to the overall “Neighborhood Plan” is concerned, if a vocal minority can organize a couple of meetings and shove their preference down their neighbors’ throats — this is a good thing?
My point is that the overly-expansive rezoning of “Walker Park neighborhood” guaranteed that underutilized properties would remain underutilized and help cripple the reasonable planned re-development of substandard neartown properties by hobbling the corridor in need of rehabilitation with unreasonable regulations. The wide range of the Walker “neighborhood” guarantees that Huntsville Road will remain an underutilized corridor. Had the “Neighborhood Plan” listened to those who live along Sixth Street / Huntsville Road and recognized the actual boundary of the “Walker Neighborhood” to the south of Huntsville Road, the immediate neartown area would have been left free to create a viable district for economic growth and rehabilitation.
As it stands, the Fayetteville Neartown along Sixth / Huntsville from 71B to Morningside gets to become a slum — except for the developments that have political “stroke”.
The Walker Park Plan was poorly conceived, inadequately engineered and driven by political influence rather than intelligent analysis.
Next question?
-k-
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